Gesa Power House Theatre proudly presents Checkpoint Zoo on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 7PM.

Checkpoint Zoo documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Working from footage captured by the zookeepers, volunteers, news media, and himself on his own trip to Ukraine, filmmaker Joshua Zeman tells the moving, suspenseful, and powerful story of these real – life heroes. The film details the initial attack, the efforts to continue tending to the trapped animals, the hair – raising evacuation, and tragically, the price these volunteers paid to do the right thing.
The zookeepers and volunteers of Checkpoint Zoo show us the absolute best of humanity at a time when it is all too easy to focus on the worst. In the face of violence, destruction, and cruelty, this film is a testament to the power of compassion, empathy, and sacrifice.